WARNINGS have been given about visitors to Ramsbottom being fined after parking at nearby supermarkets and walking into town.

Following a host of complaints about receiving parking tickets on trips to the town, c for Ramsbottom Ward Ian Bevan has warned people to be vigilant when parking.

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He said: “I understand that parking on council car parks and on-street parking is at a premium in Ramsbottom and we are working to address that problem.

“Many residents and visitors are parking in the car parks of the three local supermarkets, and walking into the town centre, often not realising there are car parking time limits.

“As local councillor, I receive regular complaints from residents and visitors alike who have been fined for overstaying at supermarkets.

“Many question whether the fines are valid as they are not imposed by the council.”

He added that following a court judgment released a few days ago in a case before the Supreme Court of England and Wales, the parking fines are valid and has asked residents and visitors to be vigilant.

In the case of Beavis v ParkingEye, a motorist challenged “unfair” fines imposed by a car park when he was given an £85 ticket for overstaying a two-hour parking limit by almost an hour.

The supreme court ruled that a fine in a private car park was not unfair, and that overstaying penalties are a ‘normal feature of parking contracts’.

The judgment said fines were beneficial to motorists themselves as they make parking spaces available to them which might otherwise be clogged up by long-stay users.

“The risk of having to pay the fine was wholly under the motorist’s own control.

“All he needed was a watch,” the judges said.

In September, the council, at the behest of Ramsbottom Business Group carried out an online survey to gauge people’s thoughts about parking in the town.

The deadline for responses was October 31 and the results have not yet been shared.